The boss of a coal mine in east China's Anhui Province was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Monday for an explosion at his mine that claimed 27 lives in Huainan City in 2014.
Yu Qingquan, of the Dongfang coal mine in Huainan City, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for illegally storing explosives, illegal mining and responsibility for a serious accident, said the People's Court of Chaohu City.
An explosion ripped through the Dongfang coal mine on Aug. 19, 2014, leaving 27 people dead and one injured. The blast resulted in a direct economic loss of 45 million yuan (6.9 million U.S. dollars).
The court said Yu allowed miners to store explosives in the shaft and asked others to transfer explosives and detonators to a temporary storage site in the shaft when the mine was ordered to suspend production.
Yu also ordered the illegal mining of more than 320,000 tonnes of coal, worth over 160 million yuan. He organized illegal mining while failing to supervise the security of the mine, therefore, he is liable for the accident, according to the court.
The privately-owned coal mine which started operation in December 1997 had an annual production capacity of 90,000 tonnes.
